NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on Wednesday called for the resumption of indoor dining in New York City, saying restaurants in the five boroughs “need to begin planning for the colder months.”
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Johnson said indoor dining should be allowed “with reduced capacity and clear guidance to ensure social distancing and safety.”
“This is crucial for restaurant owners, who have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and the resulting drop in tourism,” he said.
“We know that the restaurant industry employs many New Yorkers, including many immigrants,” he added. “Its health and well-being are imperative to our city.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly said that any decisions regarding indoor dining in New York City will be up to the state.
In a teleconference with reporters on Monday, hours after Gov. Phil Murphy set a date for limited indoor dining to resume in New Jersey, Cuomo said he was “aware that the restaurants in New York City are very unhappy with doing no indoor dining.”
“I understand the economic consequences,” he said. "I understand their argument will be exacerbated when they say New Jersey can go to 25 percent, and it is something that we are watching and we are considering.”
“By law, it is a state decision,” he added. “It’s not up to New York City.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday said he hoped to announce a decision on indoor dining at some point this month, without providing an exact date.
“I think it’s our responsibility to give them as clear an answer in the month of September as possible, of where we’re going,” he said during a news briefing. The decision will be contingent upon “health and safety,” he noted.
“If there can be a timeline, if there can be a set of standards for reopening, we need to decide that in the next few weeks and announce it,” he said. “Whether it’s good news or bad news.”